Pride in Space Robots Prompts Canadian Firm to Dole out New $5 Bills as Freebies

Article excerpt

Journalists in Canadian newsrooms are accustomed to receiving all manner of goodies from organizations trying to charm them into writing about their goods, services or achievements.

But the shiny new $5 bills that arrived in some Ottawa newsrooms this week were an unusual addition to the swag stockpile.

MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates -- the global communications and information company known as MDA -- sent out the polymer bills to a select number of media contacts in the city because the new notes are adorned by sketches of the Canadarm2 and Dextre.

MDA developed the robotics for the Canadian Space Agency, and they've been central to the success of the International Space Station.

Canadarm2 played an essential role in the construction of the space station, as well as tethering astronauts on space walks. Dextre is a two-armed robot capable of performing tasks currently handled by astronauts on space walks. …